Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

This is particularly relevant to millions of Filipino families whose finances are connected to overseas work. The Department of Migrant Workers recorded 1.58 million overseas Filipino workers and seafarers deployed as of June 2025, underscoring the scale of Filipinos whose livelihoods extend beyond the country.

For these families, managing money does not end when an OFW earns abroad. The value of that income can also depend on how it is converted into pesos and how much reaches the household. Changes in exchange rates can affect the amount received, making foreign exchange a practical consideration alongside saving, budgeting, and remittances.

Being financially prepared means understanding not only how much money is coming in and going out, but also how its value can change between currencies. For OFWs and their families, knowing how exchange rates work and making informed decisions about when and where to convert currency can help them get more value from money they have worked hard to earn.

‘Financial empowerment means giving Filipinos the knowledge and the right financial solutions to make better decisions at every stage of their financial journey. As more Filipinos earn and transact across borders, foreign exchange should become part of the conversation around managing money because it directly affects the value of their money,’ said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier.

Making those decisions is not always straightforward. Exchange rates move, currency needs differ, and the right choice can depend on whether money is being sent home, set aside for a trip, or used for an international transaction. This is where a trusted foreign exchange provider can make a difference.

As Xchange Xperts, Cebuana Lhuillier MoneyXchange offers access to foreign currencies, competitive exchange rates, and a nationwide network, making foreign exchange more accessible to Filipinos looking to make informed decisions about their money.

Adding to this convenience is Click and Collect, which allows customers to reserve their preferred foreign currency online and pick it up at a selected Cebuana Lhuillier branch. The service combines digital convenience with in-branch access, helping customers prepare their currency needs in advance.

The need extends beyond remittances. Filipinos traveling overseas also need to consider how much to convert, when to exchange pesos, and how currency movements can affect spending power. With 29.1 million international passengers passing through Philippine airports in 2025, foreign currency is becoming a familiar part of preparing for expenses abroad.

‘Foreign exchange can seem like a simple transaction, but for many Filipinos, it is connected to something much bigger, their livelihood, their family’s financial needs, their business, or their plans abroad. Our role is to make that decision easier to understand and more accessible so Filipinos can approach every currency exchange with greater confidence,’ said Philippe Andre Lhuillier, Senior Executive Vice President of Cebuana Lhuillier.

The bigger shift is in how Filipinos think about financial preparedness. Saving, budgeting, and investing remain essential. But for people whose financial lives increasingly cross borders, understanding the value of money in different currencies belongs in the same conversation.

Ultimately, smarter money management means seeing the full picture and understanding what can influence money’s value. For Filipinos earning overseas, supporting families through remittances, or preparing for a trip abroad, foreign exchange is another financial consideration to navigate wisely, with the right knowledge and an Xchange Xpert by their side.

Price pressures remain widespread enough to warrant another quarter-point rate hike from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) this week, according to Deutsche Bank.

In its latest note to clients, the bank said another rate hike to 5 percent was ‘necessary to further dampen the impact of price pressures on consumers and stabilize real incomes.’

The forecast is in line with the prediction of economists surveyed by the Inquirer, with 11 of 15 expecting the Monetary Board to deliver a quarter-point rate hike at its Aug. 27 meeting.

If realized, the move would extend the tightening cycle that began in April and bring cumulative rate increases to 75 basis points (bp).

Deutsche Bank’s call came as its price diffusion index showed that around 80 percent of items in the country’s consumer basket by weight were still experiencing above-trend inflation, despite the easing in headline inflation in recent months.

‘This suggests that inflationary pressure in the Philippines is still broad-based and that spillover effects are likely still working their way through the economy, in our view,’ Deutsche Bank said.

Headline inflation decelerated for the third straight month to 6.2 percent in July, from a peak of 7.2 percent in April.

Despite the slowdown, inflation remained well above the BSP’s 3-percent target range.

The elevated pace of price increases has also continued to erode consumers’ purchasing power.

As of July, the peso’s purchasing power had fallen to 74 centavos compared with P1 in 2018.

Deutsche Bank earlier said it expects Philippine inflation to average 5.4 percent by the end of the year, which is still beyond the tolerable target of the government.

Weakening economy

As it is, the BSP is also weighing the persistence of above-target inflation against a weakening economy, with Governor Eli Remolona Jr. signaling last week that the central bank would take a less aggressive approach to monetary tightening.

The economy grew by just 2.3 percent in the second quarter, its weakest expansion outside the pandemic period since late 2009.

Separately, Capital Economics also expects the BSP to raise its policy rate by a quarter point to 5 percent, but said the move could mark the end of the current tightening cycle amid weakening growth.

‘All told, we think policymakers will opt for a further 25bp hike next week to add to the 50bp of tightening delivered so far in this cycle,’ Capital Economics said.

‘But, so long as oil prices drop back as we expect, that is likely to mark the end of the tightening cycle as the BSP shifts its attention to supporting the economy,’ it added.

Higher borrowing costs are intended to curb spending by households and businesses, helping ease inflationary pressures but also weighing on economic activity.

The municipality of Abra de Ilog has been asked to declare a state of calamity after the southwest monsoon, intensified by successive weather disturbances, left an estimated P69.08 million in damage across the municipality.

The recommendation was contained in Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) Resolution No. 2026-02, Series of 2026, dated Aug. 24.

Based on the consolidated damage assessment and needs analysis, the heaviest losses were recorded in agriculture, other infrastructure, water supply systems and damaged houses.

Agricultural damage was estimated at P27,895,722.70, while damage to other infrastructure reached P25,340,000. Water supply systems sustained an estimated P7,440,000 in damage, while damage to houses cost P8,400,000.

The resolution said the agricultural sector suffered substantial losses affecting crops, livestock, fisheries and agricultural infrastructure.

Infrastructure damage was reported in the barangays of Cabacao, Balao, San Vicente and Lumangbayan, including flood protection structures, flooding control structures and river protection works.

The municipality also reported that several municipal and barangay water supply systems sustained damage from erosion, scouring, flooding and other effects of the disaster, disrupting water service delivery in various barangays.

A total of 89 houses were reported damaged-45 partially and 44 totally.

The prolonged rains also caused significant displacement of families and individuals, damaged public infrastructure and temporarily rendered several roads and bridges inaccessible or impassable.

Under the resolution, the declaration of a state of calamity is expected to facilitate the implementation of necessary disaster response, relief, early recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction measures.

Among the priority interventions identified are the provision of food and non-food assistance to affected families and vulnerable sectors; continued assistance to families with partially and totally damaged houses; restoration and rehabilitation of damaged water supply systems; repair of flood-control, flood-protection and other critical infrastructure; clearing and rehabilitation of roads affected by flooding, landslides and road cuts; and restoration of agricultural and fisheries livelihoods.

The MDRRMC also called for early recovery interventions, watershed and river management, and the development of more resilient infrastructure under the ‘Build Back Better’ approach.

The resolution said the municipality would pursue long-term recovery and strengthen its environmental management, disaster preparedness and climate adaptation measures following the widespread impacts of the weather disturbances.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Tuesday issued a show-cause order and imposed a 90-day preventive suspension of the driver’s license of an actor who crashed his vehicle into several establishments.

According to the agency in a statement, the actor is required to appear before the LTO’s Intelligence and Investigation Division for a hearing scheduled Friday. The LTO did not name the actor in the statement.

He was also directed to submit a sworn explanation, as well as the necessary documents supporting his position concerning the allegations outlined in the show-cause order.

Meanwhile, the vehicle used by the actor has already been placed under alarm while the investigation is ongoing, the LTO said.

According to the agency’s investigation and a report from the Antipolo City Police Station, the actor fell asleep and lost control of the vehicle, causing it to cross into the opposite lane and ram three shops and a motorcycle along Marcos Highway in Antipolo City, Rizal. One person was injured in the incident.

The actor later admitted that he fell asleep while driving, saying that he lost control of the vehicle and was ready to take full responsibility for the incident.

The actor also said that he would address the needs of the injured individual and pay for the damage to the establishments caused by the accident.

‘Before even starting the vehicle, the driver should already know if they can remain alert until they reach their destination,’ LTO chief Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao said.

‘If you are tired or sleepy, do not force yourself to drive, as doing so puts not only yourself but also other motorists and people around you at risk,’ he added.

The LTO noted that the actor may face charges, including reckless driving, and the revocation of his license for being deemed an improper person to operate a vehicle.

Meanwhile, the LTO advised all motorists to ‘Be careful and responsible when driving. If you are tired or sleepy, do not force yourself to drive; take some time to rest instead.’

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recommended the filing of criminal charges against the owner of one of the guns used in the June Tacloban school shooting that killed three people, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said on Monday.

At a congressional budget hearing, Vida said a Tacloban prosecution office on Monday found probable cause to charge the gun owner with criminal negligence. He did not disclose the gun owner’s name.

Two students, aged 14 and 15, opened fire at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22, killing three and injuring 20 others. Authorities believe the students’ actions were motivated by a grudge over alleged bullying.

The 14-year-old suspect allegedly used a 9mm pistol registered to his aunt, a policewoman, while the 15-year-old suspect allegedly used a .38-caliber revolver registered to a Cebu-based security agency.

Vida said authorities ‘are seeing a pattern’ in the spate of school violence that has rocked the Philippines in recent months. Last week, a student also opened fire at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University campus, killing another student before he shot himself.

The justice chief said ‘groomers’ target children playing online games and lure them into chat rooms where violence is amplified and encouraged.

Drills postponed

Meanwhile, the Nationwide Simultaneous School Safety Drill for Active Attack Incidents initially scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed, according to the Department of Education (DepEd), to ensure alignment with the guidance of psychosocial support experts.

‘We are deferring temporarily to incorporate new suggestions,’ Education Secretary Sonny Angara told the Inquirer on Monday.

In an advisory, DepEd announced that the activity will be moved to the first week of September.

On Saturday, the Philippine Psychiatric Association and Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry urged the deferment of the shooting drills, citing studies that show the drills can ‘expose learners to hyper-realistic scenarios of violence,’ causing possible psychological issues.

In a statement released on Monday, the Philippine Pediatric Society also said evidence on children’s participation in active-attack and lockdown drills remains ‘limited’ or ‘mixed.’

Returned to family

Following the concerns raised by health experts on the shooting drills, the Philippine National Police said it was ‘willing and always ready to participate in any consultation with all groups concerned.’

PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co also reported in a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday that the Cebu junior high school student allegedly caught with a gun inside his bag while in school has been returned to his family.

The student, who initially said the gun was his grandfather’s, was first turned over to local social workers for intervention under Republic Act No. 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.

But ‘due to the lack of personnel there to handle the case, as well as a proper facility for it, he was returned to his family,’ Co said.

No bettor won the P238.84 million Ultra Lotto 6/58 jackpot in the Tuesday, Aug. 25 draw, according to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

The Ultra Lotto 6/58 winning combination was 57-36-34-49-17-43. The jackpot stood at P238.84 million, but no ticket matched all six numbers.

No jackpot winner also emerged in Super Lotto 6/49. The winning combination was 17-47-20-42-40-09 for a P25-million jackpot.

Lotto 6/42 likewise had no jackpot winner. The winning combination was 07-13-24-17-01-16, with the jackpot at P13.53 million.

Minor games

6D Lotto: 2-2-1-8-9-0 – P1.05 million; no winner

3D Lotto 2 p.m.: 3-3-9 – P4,500; 152 winners

3D Lotto 5 p.m.: 7-2-6 – P4,500; 182 winners

3D Lotto 9 p.m.: 1-9-4 – P4,500; 340 winners

2D Lotto 2 p.m.: 01-24 – P4,000; 281 winners

2D Lotto 5 p.m.: 31-13 – P4,000; 44 winners

2D Lotto 9 p.m.: 09-31 – P4,000; 219 winners

Draw schedule

Ultra Lotto 6/58 draws are held every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. Super Lotto 6/49 draws take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, while Lotto 6/42 draws are held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

Unidentified gunmen shot dead a solar panel installer in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte on Tuesday amid the gun ban for the Sept. 14 first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.

Capt. Steffi Salanguit, Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) spokesperson, identified the victim as Merham Tugis Amilol, 26, a resident of Barangay Banubo, Sultan Kudarat.

Salanguit said Amilol was one of three men installing a solar panel system in a house along the national highway in Barangay Dalumangcob, Sultan Kudarat, when two men riding tandem on a motorbike arrived at 10:40 a.m.

Salanguit said one of the two suspects pulled out a pistol and shot Amilol, killing him instantly.

The attack came despite the strict implementation of the election gun ban along major highways in the Bangsamoro region.

Amilol was the 13th individual killed in a gun attack in the two Maguindanao provinces since the implementation of the gun ban, in line with historic parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim (BARMM) next month.

Grief continues to grip Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) a week after the Aug. 18 fatal shooting inside its Tumaga campus that claimed the lives of two high school students, including the shooter.

‘A week has passed, but grief does not follow a timetable. Some may be ready to return to familiar routines; others will need more time, more support. So let us continue to be patient with one another, especially gentle with those who are carrying the deepest grief,’ AdZU president Fr. Guillrey Anthony Andal said in a statement on Monday.

The university continued its ‘accompaniment activities’ following the deadly shooting, allowing junior high school students to retrieve their belongings from the Tumaga campus in Zamboanga City on Monday.

The AdZU community also gathered for a candle-lighting and prayer service at its Salvador campus, led by student leaders from El Consejo Atenista. Faculty and staff held a ‘Kumustahan Session,’ with similar activities planned for college students in the coming days.

‘As we continue to understand what happened, we must also be clear: violence has no place in our society,’ Andal said, underscoring that preventing violence is a shared responsibility of families, schools, government, religious institutions, media and the wider community.

Appeal to public

The Jesuit-run university reiterated its appeal to the public and media organizations to exercise prudence in sharing images, recordings and information related to the incident.

‘Inaccurate information and unnecessary circulation of materials, including those AI-generated involving minors, can cause further harm to families already carrying great pain,’ Andal warned.

Andal declined to comment on the shooting incident pending the final police investigation, which the university was awaiting on Monday.

On Aug. 20, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said after visiting the AdZU Tumaga campus that the final police report on the shooting was expected by Aug. 24.

‘We had hoped to receive it [on Monday], but until it is formally provided to us, we will refrain from commenting on findings that have not yet been officially communicated,’ Andal said.

He stressed that the university continues to cooperate fully with authorities and will share verified information once it becomes available.

Andal said the university had updated Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso on its cooperation with police and its ongoing efforts to strengthen campus security and provide psychological support to affected students and families.

The mayor expressed support for the initiatives.

AdZU has begun implementing enhanced security protocols at the Tumaga campus, including purchasing more walk-through metal detectors and X-ray machines. The university will make improvements to perimeter security, CCTV coverage, and live monitoring

The criminal case against Vice President Sara Duterte over alleged grave threats can proceed independently of any impeachment proceedings, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said, stressing that the two processes follow separate legal tracks.

In an interview after the first court setting of the grave threats case against Duterte, DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez said an impeachment proceeding does not bar a parallel criminal trial.

‘It does not mean that while the impeachment proceeding is ongoing, there will be no criminal proceeding,’ he added, explaining why the state pushed forward with the indictment against the sitting vice president.

Responding to queries about whether the impeachment trial could raise the issue of double jeopardy, Martinez said the two proceedings have separate tracks and ends.

‘The prosecution, of course, in filing it, believes that impeachment and the criminal proceeding are two different and distinct proceedings,’ he added. ‘They run on separate tracks, towards separate purposes, and towards separate ends.’

An impeachment is a political and administrative process conducted by a legislature to determine if a high-ranking official should be removed from office and disqualified from future public posts.

On the other hand, a criminal proceeding is a judicial process conducted by a court of law to determine an individual’s guilt regarding specific statutory crimes, carrying legal penalties such as imprisonment, fines, or probation.

Martinez maintained that the prosecution established that the case met the threshold of prima facie evidence with a reasonable certainty of conviction.

‘We are consistent in saying that there’s prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction to charge the vice president for grave threats,’ Martinez said.

‘It is the prosecution’s mandate to proceed with the criminal prosecution for grave threats if we see that there is evidence that satisfies the elements of the crime,’ he added.

While the prosecution said it is ready to try the case, the immediate future of the proceedings now rests with the trial court judge after the defense’s attempt to dismiss the charges.

The defense team has filed a Motion to Quash the three counts of grave threats, which the prosecution has formally opposed on specific legal grounds.

‘The Motion to Quash was filed by the defense. So, of course, it will be up to the judge to decide whether to grant or deny the Motion to Quash,’ Martinez explained, declining to speculate on the eventual outcome.

‘Our position is that, of course, we opposed the Motion to Quash … on specific grounds under the law,’ he added.

Meanwhile, the defense team has maintained that the case should be dismissed because impeachable officers are entitled to a certain degree of immunity.

‘As I mentioned in previous statements, there is a certain immunity ang mga impeachable officers. They should not be charged, but if they are, it should be after their term of office. This does not mean that they should not be charged; what we are saying is, not until the end of their term,’ Duterte’s lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim said.

The complaint for grave threats was filed against Duterte over her controversial remark against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Lisa Araneta Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

It is also the same matter raised in the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.

Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon earlier said the DOJ believed that nothing bars the filing of criminal cases against Duterte.

Lawyer Mae Divinagracia is among the private lawyers assisting the House prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

On Day 18, Divinagracia conducts the direct examination of Office of the Vice President Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, who was declared a hostile witness by the impeachment court, in connection with Article I of the Articles of Impeachment, which involves the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds-P500 million from the OVP and P112.5 million from the Department of Education (DepEd).

The private prosecutor is a litigation lawyer and a name partner at Co Nazario Velasco-Catera and Divinagracia (CNDV) Law Offices.

She was the lawyer of the late Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Maria Catalina ‘Cathy’ Cabral.

During the House prosecution team’s briefing in June, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima introduced Divinagracia as one of the private lawyers joining the prosecution team on a pro bono basis.

De Lima described her as an expert in commercial, civil and criminal litigation.

Divinagracia also has legal expertise in arbitration, product liability, corporate rehabilitation, intra-corporate controversies, labor and family law.

Divinagracia earned her Bachelor of Science in Legal Management, Minor in Marketing, from Ateneo de Manila University in 2003.

From the same university, she graduated Juris Doctor in 2007.

Also in 2007, Divinagracia began her law career and was named a senior associate five years later.

In 2013, she also founded the Aguila Rances and Divina Law Offices before she joined CNVD Law.

Divinagracia also teaches law part-time at Ateneo./